Healing
by Tempted Sacrifice
Summary: "I love you, Hermione." Those words were whispered in her ear, and the tears cascaded down her cheeks as she clung to him, her fingers tightly wound up in his hair. *Rated T to be safe.


**Disclaimer:** _I do not own anything, but I wouldn't mind if J.K Rowling called me, telling me that I could buy the Harry Potter series from her._

**Healing**

For the first time, Hermione Granger did not feel excitement as she thought of returning to Hogwarts. So much had happened since she first set her foot inside the magnificent castle; so many scars covered her psyche and body from battles fought. And it didn't feel right, to be happy when so many others were dead, killed just a few months ago. Hermione still mourned the loss of so many unique and wonderful persons. At times she even wished that she was one of those that did not have to live this mundane life. They didn't have to walk through the magical streets, seeing the damage that the war had brought upon all of them.

Nothing had been made of the outside appearance, everyone too busy with dealing with remaining Death Eaters and attending funerals. No one had had the time to start rebuilding the many shops that had been broken, shatters of glass still littering the cobble stones, light bouncing of them as Hermione made her way down the alley, brown eyes jaded and hair hanging limply down her back, having lost its bouncy curls.

She halted in front of Gringotts, staring at the white marble building, trying to quell the panic that rose inside of her, images flashing behind her eyelids. The horror of having to act like Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who'd tortured her, made sure that she could not feel the joy of holding a child that she'd bore in her abdomen for nine months. So many things had been taken from her, but that was one of the things she mourned the most. And she hated herself for feeling so selfish.

Breathing in deeply, she pushed away her feelings, striding in through the building, her hands tightly fisted beside her, a mask covering her through emotions from being shown.

"Hello, I would like to visit vault number 465." She said, digging in her beaded bag – tattered from use – finally wrapping her fingers around the small key. Handing it to the goblin, who inspected it before giving her a tight nod, leading her through a small door, the marble hall now replaced with stone walls and torches lighting up the dank, narrow corridor. After a small walk, in which Hermione almost slipped on the slippery floor, they arrived to the carts and with a moment's hesitation, she sat down, gripping the bars of the small square and they took off at an amazing speed.

Fortunately for her, the ride didn't take too long, and they soon arrived at the vault she intended to visit, the goblin asking her to light up her wand so that he can see the keyhole, and he deftly opened the humongous door. Hermione cautiously stepped inside, not quite knowing what to expect as she'd never been here.

The sight that greeted her was most definitely not what she'd expected. Instead of there being old trinkets or gold, it was empty. But on closer inspection, she saw a small box, a light radiating off it, as if it was surrounded by sunshine, instead of being locked inside a large space.

Being who she was, she was curious as to what the box held, but having clear instructions not to open the box by no means, Hermione sighed, bending down to pick up the box, her finger lightly running over the velvet before stuffing it inside her bag, telling the goblin that she was ready to leave, all the way back wondering what the box held.

Later that evening, when Hermione sat alone in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, the hooting of an owl alerted her that she'd gotten post, and she immediately sprung up from the chair she was sitting in, almost running all the way up to the living room, where a beautiful tawny owl was perched on the couch, a letter tied to its foot. Hermione gently untied the piece of paper, running her hand over the beauty's feathers, setting the letter aside to give the owl some treats that she stored for whenever Harry's new owl, Quix came with news from his adventures as an Auror.

"Here you go." Hermione set the small bowl on the desk, a fond smile on her face as she watched the owl munching on its treat. She'd always had a soft spot for owl. A few minutes passed before she remembered the letter, and she quickly picked it up, breaking the seal that held it together before she started reading.

_Dear Hermione,_

_If it is not too much of a hassle, I would like to see you in my quarters tonight at 8 p.m. I have activated the floo to work between 7.59 p.m. to 8.01, knowing that if you'll come, you'd rather be early than late._

_Regards,_

_Severus_

Even though she and the Potion master had been in contact for over a year, she still couldn't get over the shock every time she received an owl from him. Especially since the war had already come to an end and neither of them needed the other ones knowledge anymore.

She quickly jotted down a reply on a spare piece of parchment and sent it away with the owl; that affectionately nipped her on the hand before flying away. A quick swish of her wand told her that she still had one hour to kill before she had to meet Severus, and she set out to freshen herself up, not wanting to be less than perfect when she'd be close to the one person she'd come to admire greatly, and might even be slightly attracted to, maybe even... No, she would not go there.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach when she held the grey powder in her fist, some of the sand escaping her grasp and hitting the carpet, staining the beautiful emerald colour with grizzle.

Hermione took a few calming breathes, scolding herself for not being in better control of her feelings, also wondering why she suddenly felt so nervous. It was not as if she was going to profess her love for him or something as ridiculous as that. She was not even in love with the man, as she'd stated earlier, she might admire him, but she certainly did not like him like _that_.

Shaking her head, she threw the grain inside the heart of the fire, shouting her destination as she disappeared in a swirl of green flames.

When she arrived at his quarters, she was covered in soot, and she coughed badly, having accidently swallowed some as she'd entered the fireplace.

"Good evening." Severus Snape drawled as she'd finished clearing her throat, and with a flick of his hand, she was clean again.

"Good evening sir." A stern glare from his side made her realize that she'd, once again, slipped back to their Professor/Student role, and with a quick apologize from her, she sat down on one of the plush arm chairs, shrugging of her outer robe, leaving her in a pencil skirt and crisp white shirt.

The silence that fell upon them had been too uncomfortable for Hermione to bear, and she decided to break it by asking a question that was straight to point. "What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Black eyes stared at her inquiringly, and Hermione squirmed in her seat, feeling slightly flushed from the look in his eyes. She tried to act like she wasn't bothered, but judging by the small smirk that turned the corners of his lips upwards, he noticed, which made her blush even harder.

"This is not easy for me to say, so I would be very glad if you did not interrupt what I'm about to say." His mouth was now set in a thin line, and she nodded, really wanting to know what was on his heart at the moment, and by looking at him, she knew that it would be something that mattered to him greatly.

"When you saved me that night in the Shrieking Shack, something inside of me changed. The walls that I'd built up around me to protect me from getting hurt after Lily started to crumble, and the blackness in my heart started to slowly seep away, leaving me with the realisation that if I ever intended to get over the past, I had to move on. You gave me the chance to get a second chance on life, and I'm eternally grateful to you for that." He paused for a moment, and a tear slowly rolled down his face, and Hermione was quickly there to wipe it away, her thumb drawing small circles on his cheek to comfort him.

"And as I slowly began to see the beauty of the world again, someone that I'd known for so long stood out, shining more brightly than any star upon the sky. I hadn't even realized the beauty that she possessed, nor did I realize that underneath her know-it-all exterior, she protected a gentle soul, afraid of getting hurt. I felt myself drawn to her, and started to seek out her company, wanting to get to know her on a more intimate level, wanting to know all that is so purely her.

"Slowly, she started to open up for me, and I fell in love. So intelligent and brave, wise beyond years and yet so kind, even to those who doesn't deserve it. Fighting for those who cannot stand up for themselves, always there to help. Always putting others before herself. She is so pure, so breathtakingly beautiful that I often wondered why she'd spend so much time with me in these dank dungeons when she could be out with a young beau, enjoying life after all the hardship that she's gone through. " Hermione swallowed harshly, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape, knowing, deep inside, that he spoke of her. And she could not understand how this man could love her so deeply. How he could think of her as such, when she knew she wasn't perfect, as he described her as.

"I love you, Hermione." Those words were whispered in her ear, and the tears cascaded down her cheeks as she clung to him, her fingers tightly wound up in his hair. She shifted her head to the side, her lips seeking his, letting go of the strong hold she'd had on her emotions, letting free the love that she'd tried to push away for so long, not wanting to believe that he would ever love her like she loved him.

"I love you too." She said in between kisses, hot tears still running down her skin as she held onto him tightly, not wanting to ever let go.

Gasping for air, she pushed back slightly, her hands now wrapped around his neck, her forehead leaning on his as she breathed in, taking in the musky scent of herbs and smoke.

A few more kisses were shared before they settled down on the arm chair, Hermione sitting on Severus' lap as they stared into the fire, enjoying that they could be with the one they love, even when there was so much in their world that still needed healing.

"I have something I want to ask of you." He murmured in her ear, and she nuzzled his neck, humming to let him know that she was listening. "This might be way too early, but I know that I love you more than anything else, and that I can't live without you. I want to start our life together as soon as possible. You never know when it might all end. The war taught me that not everything lasts, and I want to enjoy every second of my second chance with you, not wanting to be apart. So, Hermione Jean Granger, would you like to marry me?"

Hermione stared at the small velvet box, turning her shocked eyes to Severus, who stared at her with his black eyes, vulnerability and amusement clearly visible as he took in her open mouth.

"How did you... Where did you get that?" It was the only thing Hermione could think of, as it had been in her beaded bag, securely lying in the depths of her purse. But soon the question asked hit her, and tears sprung up in her eyes again. She flung herself around his neck, hugging him tightly as she whispered her answer in his ear.

Life may not be perfect right now, and it would take a lot before both of them would be fully healed, if they ever would, but one thing is sure. When you have someone by your side, that you love, you learn to move on, and accept things as they are. You can't change everything, but you can try and move on, even when it seems like the most impossible thing to do.

_Yes, I would love to marry you. _

**A/N: **I hope it is coherent, as I'm rather tired, but this idea came to me while watching some HG/SS videos on YouTube, and I really wanted to write it. I like it, and I might even love it, and I hope you like it too.


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